Power-controlling mechanism.



No. 862,186. PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907.

. .W. R. MOKEEN Em POWER CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

v APlLIUATION FILED DEO.1-7. 1905,

' I 6 SHEETS-SHEET 1v N0H862,l86. PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907. W. R. MOKEEN, JR. POWER GONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.19. 1905.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 862,186. v PATENTED AUG. 6,1907. W. R. MQKEBN, JR. POWER CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.19. 1905.

6 SHEETS-SHBET 3.

No. 862,186. v PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907. W. R. MOKEEN, JR. POWER CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLIUATION FILED DBO. 19.1905.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

i iww INVENTOR w m A e By I {S .ATTOBWE No. 862,186. I P'ATENTED AUG. 6, 1907. W, R. MGKEEN, JR. POWER CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.19, 1905.

s sHEB TsaHBET 5.

UNlTED STATES iPi i an r anion.

WILLIAM-R. McKEEN, JR., or OMAHA, NEB'RASK/A.

POWER-CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, WrLLrAM R. MCKEEN, Jr., residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power-Gontrolling Mechanism, of I which the following is a 'full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i This invention relates to power controlling mechan- L0 ism. g flne of the objects thereof is to provide. efiicientand readily manipulated means of control for power trans- Knitting mechanism. i Afnother ob isct is to provide controlling means of the above type adapted to be operated with a miniminn ofiiianual labor. I

Another. object is to provide practical controlling means of the type first mentioned which shall be of Compact construction and thoroughly reliable action;

Another object is to provide means of the above types adapted for use in connection with motor cars. Qth er objects will be.in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified i'n the mechanism hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

' In the accompanyingdrawings, wherein is shown one of various possible embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is an elevation of the same, certain parts being broken away to show the structure more clearly and certain parts being diagrammatically represented 85 is order to avoid confusion. Fig. 2 is a plan partially in section certain parts sliown in Fig-l. Fig. 3 is a sectional-elevation of a controlling valve and operatingmeans'therefor. Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line n:-:t of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of am the parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 3 with the valve and valve-chest reinoved. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic plan of a valve. Figs. 8 to 11 inclusive are diagrammatic views showing the valve in different positions.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several'views.

This invention will be most readily understood if the following facts be borne in mind: In the case of self propelled vehicles of various types and particularly those adapted to travel upon rails, the cost to the operating parties due to accidental injuries both Within and without the vehicle is often so high as to bear a considerable pntportion to the total running expenses. This is peculiarly true in the case of ears of various types driven upon small railways and the branch lines of larger systems in which, onaecount of Specification of Letters Patent; Application filed December 19,1905. Serial no; stairs.

- space of time.

Patented Aug. 6, 1907.

the comparatively small traflic, it is inexpedient to take the precautionary measures, as the elimination of grade crossings and provision of gates, which obtain in the case of large trunk lines. -If this heavy item of expense is to be reduced, it is essential that the car be under instant control, and that it be possible to stop the same by the simplest manipulation of the most reliable mechanism. This is true even in the case in which skilled engineers are employed, as experience has proved that where it is necessary to manipulate a number of parts with the greatest speed, as to avoid accident,.there is a likelihood ofconfusion arising, irrespective of the character of the engineer or motorman. Moreover, in the case of the small lines above referred to, in which local trafiic is catered to rather than express service, the frequent stops render it of high importance that both the starting and stopping operations be performed in the shortest practicable Another feature of interest at'this point is that in the case-of heavy power transmission mechanism, if manual energy be depended upon for throwing the parts, not only is there a considerable expenditure of labor required, but there is considerable amount of time consumed in putting forth the reqnimd effort, and this often in the case where an in-' sta'nts delay may result in accident. The above and other defects are avoided and many positive advantagesattain d in constructions of the nature of that hereinafter described.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, there are shown truck wheels 1 connected by the axle 2. Loosely mounted upon axle 2 is a sleeve 3 having journalcd thereon a sprocket wheel 4 of any desired form which may be connected in any desired manner, as by a sprocket chain, to a source of'power. Bolted to gear or sprocket wheel 4 is a clutch-carrier 5 v having bolted on its circumference an inwardly-disposed flange 6 provided with wear-blocks 7, as of wood.

Keyed upon sleeve 3 and resting against a shoulder 8 formed thereon is a clutclrmeinber 9 comprising, in general, relatively movable outei and inner engaging members 10 and 11 respectively. .The part 11 is preferably formed on the member 9 and the outer member 10 is loosely niounted thereon and connected therewith, as by the bolts -12, the heads of which rest against the inner surface of the member 11. Upon the outlvr ends of bolts 12 there are held, as by lock nuts 13, iars 14 provided with recesses 15. Fitted within each iii these recesses and having its opposite end portions aking into a similar recess in the membe lO is the enlarged free end 16 of an actuating lever 17 having its i ner end bolted or otherwise connected to a sleeve 18 ltlesely mounted upon the axle 2.

As the outer portions .16 forked about the bolts 2 are of elongated shape, it will readily be seen that, f the same are rocked, as by a slidix novement of the 18, the distance between the colls. s 14 and the member 10 is varied, with -.t consequent. variation in the distance between the opposing surfaces of the outer portions of nieiiibers 10 and ll, springs 19 being preferably interposed between these parts'to take up all lost 1110-- tion. in this manner, according to the position of the sleeve l8 upon mzle 2, the members 10 and ll are either separated, permitting the flanged port (3 to pass l'reely between them, or the hinge and loclc e forced together, thus clumping the carrier 5 to the clutchonenn her 9 with a degr 3 of firmness (.orrtsponding to the intensity of the pressure exerted upon this flange. 5 fvleeve l8 is provided with a. loose ring or band 20 upon which-are formed lrunni ms 21 resting within the slotted ends] of a forked, uctu-uing-lever 22. The hitter is pivoted as at 23 to arms 24 of u rigid l'r-bune 25 journaled upon. a. collar 26' around sleeve 3. and upon'the axle at 27. This irzune is provided with :Llsterrtlly projecting portion 28, best shown in Fig. 2, the end of which is resiliently mounted upon the truclc-lrmne in nnydesi red manner.

Keyed upon sleeve 3 is it gear 2!) interineshing with a. gear 30 fixed upon 3. short counter slur-it Sl journaled within the extending portion 28 oi the frame 25. Likewise fixed upon shaft 31 is a. gear 32 intermesliing with 3. gear 33 loosely mounted upon the axle 2, the proportions of these several gears being such as to drive,

or cause to be diiven, the gears 29 and 33 at different rates of'speed.

Slidably mounted upon the axle 2 and keyed thereto,

is it double-faced clutch-member 34 provided with teeth 35 adapted to engage co-ztcting teeth 36 and 37 upon gears 29 and 33 respectively, the hitter members being so spaced as to permit the clutch-member 34 to be thrown into engagement with either one or the other separately or to assume an intermediate "position in whichit is free from iioth. It will he noted that the several teeth are slightly undercut, so as to adapt each of the corresponding clutch-members when in engage-- rrient automatically to tend to draw the counting member toward itself. I

The movement of clutchnneinbcr 34 is-accomplished through it loose ring 38 fitted therein-and provided with trunnions 3'9 resting within slots in the lower end of it forked shipping-lever 40 pivoted to the frame 25 at 4l. v

Levers 222 and 40 are preferablyadupted to receive extensions 42 and lil by which the some may be manip= ulsteddtdesird. the-preferred use of the abovedescribedfappamtus, however, I employ cylinders 34 and 45 resting Within a, depressed portion of the frame 25 and rigidly bolted thereto through flanges 46 and 47 respectively formedon these parts. As the construe tion of these cylindeis is substantially identical, that of one only will be herein described. lylinder 44 is provided with a. piston 18 of any desired type having packing; means49 meeting with the cylinder walls. A piston r0150 is held upon the piston-as by shoulder 51 and nut-52 and passes through a stuffing box 53 of any desired form, the entire headoi the cylinder being tapped Within the walls esat 54 for the purposes of" permitting. a ready removal oi the piston. The outer end of piston rod 50 is connected with lever 22 as by the link 55,.snd it will thus be seen that upon-the piston being forced from ens end of the cylinder to the sos,ise'

being substantially in alinement with other, corresponding movement of the sleeve 18 upon the axle 2 will take place and the iriction-clutch a through the conduit 58 being bifurcated as intliczttcvl diagrammatically at. 61 for a. purpose hereinafter der scribed. Conduit 57 leads to a port Gilpreierably offset with reference to the ports 63 and 6 1 connected with the two branches of conduit 58, and the ports 65 and 66 corresponding to the conduits or tubes 59 and 60,

the our last-mentioned ports being substantially in elineinont. t

-Bstween the ports 63 and 64 and substsntiglly in 'alinement therewith, is an exhaust port 67, the fluid passing through which is carried by any desired niczi'hs to any desired destination. it may here be noted that by the term exhaust used throughout this specification and the following claims denoted any means whereby a passage may be provided to a. space of relatively low pressure as centredistinguished from the meaning of the expression source of compressed fluid supply.

Mounted upon the valve-soot 68 is ably of the form shown, which is of EL general I shape but is provided with a slot 70 which passes entirely through the valve and adapted to co-uct with the port 62. An inwardly projecting portion 71 is also valve 69, preierprovided for gt purpose hereinafter described, this part the severalports 63, 64, 65 and 66.

Bolted. upon the valve-seat 68 is a valve-chest 72 adapted to communicate, as by the conduit or tube 73 with any source oi compressedfiuid supply 74.

V v Passing through a suitable stuffing box in the valvechest 2'2 is a valve spindle 75 resting between the lugs 76 formed-upon the. valve and adjustnbly heldin position asby the nuts 7'7 and 78. (like outer end "of valve spindle 7o rests within shgi nd'lever 7.9 and is held as by the bolt 80 passing through the slot-55]. The lower end of lever 79 is piyote-llyniounted at 82 by means of the bolt 33 upoh which is'lilrewise mounted a pair of brace rods 8%, the upper-ends of whichcon" Pivotzillyjmo pitednponhand lever 79 is a latch'or dog '88 aldapted to co-act with notches formed iii. the" locking sector, a spring 89! being preferably provided A to tend to throw the doglnto' locking position. 'These notcheszareipreisralbly five inniufltber, spa -(red sub; stantially asshown, and the control of these notches- 90 corresponds to mid -position oi the valve shown in Fig. 7 in which the port 62 is open to the valve-chest I through .the'slot '7@. 'Ports 63 and 64 are open to the exhaust portifi 7,lwhich.is of such Width as to'exteril beyond theprojectioii .71; and ports'fifi and 66 arecov I ered-by tlie ml'v Upon lever being thrownewayfrom the vslv cli wast-o coast with the notch 91, the mlvo is into '2. position shom in seared 64 will be covered by the projection 71 upon the valve.

Assuming the lever 79 to be returned toits central position, if it be thrown toward the valve-chest to notch 93, see Fig. 10, ports 63, 64 and 66 are opened to the exhaust, whereas ports 65 and 62 communicate with the valve-chest and, hence, the source of compressed fluid supply. Upon the valve assuming the extreme position, corresponding to the notch 94, as

' shown in Fig. 11, ports 66 and 62 are opened to the exhaust, ports 64 and are opened to the valve chest,

and the port63 isclosed by the projectionportion 71.

Theabove discussion of the several predetermined positions of the valve corresponding the positions of'the leverJQ in which it is locked by dog 88 is given nierely'to render the construction and relative dispositiori of the several elements clear, and the functions accomplished by these parts upon being disposed as above described will be hereinafter set forth. I

The operationandmethod of useof the above described embodiment of my invention is substantially, as follows: Assuming the lever 79 in mid position coacting with the notch 90, it will .be seen that by reason of the compressed fluid passing through port 62 and conduit 57 to the crank end of the cylinder 44, the piston will be thrown to its innermost position, with a corresponding outward movement of the sleeve 18- which, in this illustrative embodiment is assumed to effect a'release of the friction clutch by inclining the portion 160i the levers l7 between the members within which it isJitted and thus permitting the same to approach more closely and the members 10 and 11 to be thrown apart, as bythe springs 19. The conduit 58 leading to, the ports 63 and 64 is, in this case, open to the exhaust, and the movement ef piston 48 thus unopposed. By reason of the covering of the ports 65 and 66,v the piston in cylinder 45 is fprced in neither directioir'j with the valve disposed as above and clutch-member 34 may be assumed to be in mid position. If now the lever 79 be moved to the notch admitted to one side thereof and the other side being opened to the exhaust, is instantly thrown in such direction as to cause the clutch-member 34 to engage with the co-acting parts upon gear 33, and hence complots the transmission at the lower speed from the friction clutch to the wheels 1. The latter clutch,

howevtr. isfas above explained, in open condition,

1 amino power is transmitted to the co-acting clutch as above described, thus permitting a slight movement of the entire back gearing about the axle and tending to cushion any shock brought upon the posi tive clutch-members due to difference in speed of the same when thrown into engagement. Upon the lever '79 being thrown to the ex'trenienotch 92, the port 63 isiopened to the pressure, ports 62 and 65 to the exhaust, and port 64 covered as above described by the projection 71, thus preventing the blowing of compressed-air or other fluid through the two legs oi the conduit 58 directly from the source of supply to the exhaust. Owing to conduit 58 being thus opened'to the pressure and conduit 57 to the eKh-aust the piston 48 is thrown to the opposite end of the cylinder and the friction clutch thrown in by reason ofthe clampbeing returned to mid position, the friction clutch is iirst thrown off and the communication of the cylinder 45 with the pressure, closed, as above set forth, Upon moving the hand lever in the opposite direction from its mid position, a series of operations take place which is substantially identical with that above described, with the exception that the connections of the ports 65 and 64 are reversed, resulting in the throwing of the clutch member-34 in the opposite direction, and thetransmission of power at the higher speedpit being assumed that gear 33 is driven more slowly than gear 29.

"It will thus be seen that I have prpvidcd means vilrereby the several objects of my invention are fully acting automatically to provide the operations in the above sequence. N0 effort is required, moreover, to

throw the parts of' the heaviest transmission and the controlling as well as active parts of this transmission are as compactly disposed as is consistent with the highest cfiiciency and the desired readiness of access.

. The entire mechanism, while possessing advanta gcous features capable of broad application, is nevertheless peculiarly adapted for use in connection with the previously-mentioned art, many of the dcfccts of which it is well adapted to eliminate.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different cmbodiments of my invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, I intend that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I desire it also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific firuturcs of the invention herein-described and all statements of thc-scopc of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall thcrobctwecn.

Certain features herein shown and dcscribvd are shown, described and claimed in my rec-pending case, filed December l9, 1005, Serial No. 292,447, and accordingly are not claimed herein.

ing of the flange 6 as above set forth. Upon lever 79 through said friction clutch, a second gear upon said axle,

gearing connecting said gears adapted to drive the same at different rates of speed, a supporting frame upon which said gearing is mounted, a pair of cylinders mounted upon said frame, a double-faced clutch member upon said axle adapted to be thrown into engagement with eo-acting parts upon either of said gears, pistons within said cylinders respectively connected with and adapted to actuate said double-faced clutch member and said friction clutch,

-nieans provided with a passage leading to each of said pressed fluid supply, and means adapted to admit fluid from said source of supply through any of said passages cylinders -at each side ofsaid pistons, a source of comat will, said connecting means between said pistons and the clutch mechanisms comprisinglevers pivoted upon said ed upon said axle, and levers pivoted frame. I

l1. In mechanism of the class a (antruck comprising wheels and an axle,'po\vercontrolling means mounted upon said amid, speed-changing means mounted upon said axle, a supporting-frame mountto said frame adapted respectively to control said power-controlling and said speed-changing means.

12. In mechanism of the class described, in combination, a car-truck comprising wheels and an axle, power-controlling means mounted upon said axle, speedmhanging means mounted upon said axle, a. supporting frame mount i ed upon said axle, levers pivoted to said frame adapted I described, in combination,

respectively to control said poker-controlling and said spceiLchanging; means, a pair of cylinders mounted upon said frame, pistons within said cylinders connected with said levers, a source of compressed fluid supply, means adapted to connect said cylinders with said source of compressed fluid supply, and means controlling the admission i of Lilliii from Siliti SUlll('O of supply to said cylinders and the actuation of said power-controlling and speed-changing means.

said speed-changing means,

13. In mechanism of the class described, in combination, I

a car-truck comprising wheels and an axle, power-controlling means mounted upon said axle, speed-changing means mounted upon said axle, a supporting frame mount ed upon said axle, levers pivoted to said frame adapted respectively to control saidpower-controlling and said speed-changing means, a pair of cylinders mounted upon said frame, pistons within said cylinders connected with said levers, a source of compressed fluid supply, means.

adapted to connect said cylinders with said source of compressed fluid supply, and single means controlling the admission of-fluid from said source of supply to said cylinders and the actuation of said powercontroiiing and speed-changing means.

14. Iii mechanism of the class described, in combination, a car-truck comprising wheels and an axle, po\vercontrolling" means mounted upon said axle, speed-changing means mounted, upon said axle, a supporting frame mounted upon said axle, levers pivoted to said frame adapted respectively to control said power-controlling and a pair of cylinders mounted upon said frame, pistons Within said cylinders connected with said levers, a source of compressed fluid supply, means adapted to connect said cylinders with said source of compressed fluid supply, and single means controllina: the admission of fluid from said source of supply to said cylinders and the actuation of said power-control]ing and speed-changing means, said frame having mounted thereon a portion of said speed-changing means and bein adapted to swing with reference to said axle and having a portion thereof resiliently mounted upon the frame of said trucki In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses. I

WILLIAM R. MCKEEN, JR. 

